The A.M. READ newsletter is a news tipsheet highlighting LGBTQ+ news and HRC updates. It covers a wide range of topics from breaking news to politics to LGBTQ+ pop culture to sports and everything in between.

THE LATEST TEA

DEMS LOOK TO PROTECT TRANS SERVICEMEMBERS: Democratic Members of Congress are planning to introduce legislation today that would protect the ability of transgender people to serve in the military. The Fit To Serve Act would prevent the Department of Defense from banning trans servicemembers simply because of who they are. HRC Director of Government Affairs Jennifer Pike Bailey lauded the legislation: “The Fit to Serve Act is a declaration that we will not stand by while our courageous troops are under political assault. Transgender servicemembers meet the same rigorous standards, deploy worldwide, put in the same hard work and demonstrate the same dedication as any of their colleagues. They have valiantly embraced the weighty responsibility of protecting our country and should not have their careers arbitrarily ended…We thank Reps. Adam Smith, Mark Takano, Chrissy Houlahan, Sara Jacobs, and Eric Sorensen for introducing this important legislation, and we urge every Member of Congress to support it and uphold this nation’s promise to support all of our servicemembers.” Read more about the effort here.

BILL TO CRIMINALIZE CARE FOR TRANS YOUTH MOVES FORWARD: Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to criminalize medically necessary health care for transgender youth is being marked up in the House Judiciary Committee today. Doctors and providers who administer medical treatments for gender dysphoria to patients younger than 18, including hormones and puberty blockers, would be subject to Class 3 felony charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison if the legislation is enacted. “Deeply personal health care decisions belong between families and their doctors, not politicians. But anti-equality politicians continue to attack medical freedom for transgender people, trying to put themselves in people’s exam rooms. No one should need Marjorie Taylor Greene’s permission to get the best practice, medically necessary care that their family needs – care that is supported by every major medical organization in the country.  This bill is not about public health—it’s about emboldening discrimination and using the transgender community as a weapon to divide the country and try to obscure failings of the Trump Administration and their enablers in Congress,” said HRC Vice President of Government Affairs David Stacy. Read more about the bill here. 

MARYLAND GOVERNOR WES MOORE SIGNS HIV DECRIMINALIZATION BILL: Yesterday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Carlton R. Smith HIV Modernization Act, a bill that removes barriers for people living with HIV in the state. This win improves the lives of Marylanders living with HIV, helping to end stigma and expand access to HIV prevention and treatment. The law was named after the long-time activist who was a member of the Coalition to Decriminalize HIV and helped advocate for the bill alongside FreeState Justice and other coalition partners. “We are proud to stand with advocates, health experts, and lawmakers who worked diligently to advance this bill. The bipartisan support for the Carlton R. Smith Act is a testament to the power of education, research, and courageous leadership,” said FreeState Justice Executive Director Phillip Westry in a statement. “It sends a clear message: Maryland is committed to evidence-based policymaking and to ending the criminalization of people living with HIV. We honor the memory of Carlton R. Smith by continuing the work of building a more just, inclusive, and informed society.” Read more about the bill here.

SPOTLIGHT STORY

WASHINGTON BLADE — FRANK KAMENY’S LEGACY LIVES ON: Today, in honor of Frank Kameny’s 100th birthday, Malcolm Lazin, the national chair of Kameny 100, wrote a tribute to the LGBTQ+ icon in the Washington Blade, which Kameny initially founded as a newsletter. Among Kameny’s many accomplishments in his long career, he was the first openly-gay man to file an appeal about gay rights to the U.S. Supreme Court and helped co-found and chair the Mattachine Society of Washington, the first gay rights organization in the nation’s capital. On his tombstone is the phrase he coined and spread across the country: “Gay is Good.” To honor his life, today 100 activists, including HRC Chief of Staff Jay Brown, will each hold a candle for his 100th birthday in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The event will  “honor Frank Kameny; celebrate the 10th anniversary of marriage equality (Obergefell v Hodges, 2015); and push back on those who would attempt to render us invisible, deny our history and undermine our equality.” Read more about Kameny’s incredible career here.